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Portable document format

From our experience within the print and design industry Minuteman Press Bristol have come to rely upon  and recommend the Adobe PDF system for receiving print ready artwork files and emailing design proofs to clients. Not only have we found Adobe’s PDF and related programs to be a reliable method for transferring artwork but a versatile format with a lot more to offer. 

Portable Document Format (PDF) was created in 1993 by Adobe as a way to transfer files in order to be viewed independently of the software they were created in.  The PDF contains file information including font data, vector graphics and images, and can either be left open for subsequent editing or locked securely with a password. The ability to lock a PDF after creating it is very useful when sending a proof or a sensitive document that requires security. The information in the file can be password protected to prevent it from being printed or the text and images copied. 

The file recipient can download Adobe Reader to view the file, but this free program has limited capabilities compared with the premium Adobe Acrobat program. Adobe Acrobat, depending on the level of file security, allows the user to dismantle the PDF in order to obtain information on fonts, images and text details contained in the file. The advanced tools option displays print production information allowing the user to view process colour, cyan magenta yellow black (CMYK) values and spot colour details.

At Minuteman Press Bristol we distinguish the Portable Document Format as the industry standard for file transfer and document security and always recommend to our clients as a suitable file format.

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